Hills and chapels hiking route
Extended route description
Forested hills, rolling agricultural fields, feisty cobblestones, villages from the Tour and hidden paths ... The most beautiful places in the Flemish Ardennes are best discovered on foot. On this route you walk right next to Oudenaarde, past famous hills from Flanders' most popular cycling race, and three "miraculous" chapels where devotion is still very much in evidence.
Starting point Kerselare chapel
It’s a hive of activity at ‘Keerseloare kapelle’, a pilgrimage site on top of the Edelareberg, especially in May. A statue of Mary hanging in a cherry tree there many centuries ago is said to have miraculously cured the daughter of a local baron.
Where a small chapel was later built, a modern concrete church now stands. Devout believers make a short or long pilgrimage past the chapels here. They also go to the square to buy ‘lekkies’: pilgrimage sweets from traditional confectioner Jan van Gent.
Node 56-64 Les Gitanes
In this atmospheric restaurant full of curiosities referencing gypsy culture, only the very best fresh ingredients are used for the dishes: sustainable and local, worldly but above all deliciously Burgundian. The house specialty is the Josper grill on coal.
Node 60 Ladeuze
Formerly the site of the Ladeuze castle that was demolished in 1824, today it is one of the most challenging climbs in the Flemish Ardennes with a summit at 83 meters and an average gradient of 5.8%.
Restaurant Ladeuze, a household name in the region for decades, welcomes you in a stately 18th-century farmhouse with large garden and beautiful setting. A delicious Flemish Ardennes menu is always on offer.
Node 55 Volkegem
Cycling enthusiasts know the cozy Volkegem, of course, from the hill of the same name and the Wolvenberg, which have been part of the route of the Tour of Flanders on several occasions. But on the village square, definitely pop into the Romanesque Sint-Martinus Church, whose history probably goes back to Merovingian times. Or explore the Volkegembos, an EU-protected nature reserve with a 'birth forest'.
Den Obus
This authentic local pub with its large terrace and petanque court didn't steal its name: during the First World War, an "obus" - or grenade in the local dialect - actually hit this spot. It is part of the exceptionally well-preserved, protected village centre of Volkegem, which has hardly changed in appearance since the 19th century.
Node 54 Mater
At the Tissenhovemolen (mill) in Mater you can enjoy magnificent views, even as far as Deinze and Ghent in good weather. The current mill dates from the mid-18th century and is one of the best-preserved windmills in the region. In Mater village, next to the parish church, you'll find a unique example of religious and popular heritage: the chapel of Sint-Amelberga with its beautiful murals. According to tradition, the hut of Saint Amelberga, who miraculously made springs well up, once stood on this site.
SMISJE BREWERY
In 1995, Johan Brandt transformed a former lemonade factory on the Driesleutelstraat into an artisanal brewery. This is where Brandt's Smiske beer is brewed in its purest form, using crystal clear water from the certified mineral water source owned by the brewery, malt, Belgian hops and brewer's yeast. The brewery is open every Sunday from 1 May to 1 October, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., so you can come and stock up. You can also book a visit!
Node 57 Kapelleberg
In Maarke-Kerkem, ask for directions to 't Kapelleke Fiecent, and you'll be directed to the top of the Kapelleberg. If you want to get rid of stomach cramps (or stay free from them), make a pilgrimage to this Sint-Vincentius chapel in late January. The view of the surrounding green and hilly landscape is breathtaking.
6 x wandelen langs bijzondere monumenten
De 5 gezelligste wandelroutes
5 wandelroutes langs kapellen
